Device for forming cigarettes



Aug. 8, 1933. s. L. BURRI 1,920,955

DEVICE FOR FORMING CIGARETTES Filed March 14, 1932 d INVENTOR I Q Samuel L BllI'Iil,

fwah7wl7fifidfilswv W ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 8, 1933 1,920,955 DEVICE FOR FORMING CIGARETTES Samuel L. Burri, New York, N. Y. Application March 3.4, 1932. Serial No. 598,626

Claims. (Cl. 131-5) 7 This invention relates to a simple device by which cigarettes may be readily rolled or formed even by unskilled users. Such a device to be practical must satisfy the requirements of the 5 user in that it shall be compact in size and shape so that it may be carried in the pocket, shall be easy of manipulation, shall produce a well formed cigarette quicklyfrom any type of tobacco, and shall be inexpensive. The device must 10 also satisfy the requirements of the manufacturer in that it must be characterized by fewness of parts, simplicity of construction and assembly, and cheapness of manufacture.

The principal object of the present invention,

therefore, is to provide a cigarette former in which account is taken of all of the points listed.

In accordance with the invention there is pro-.

vided an outer tube having a hinged cover and an inner segmental tube .revoluble therein when the cover is closed to cause the wrapping of the paper around the tobacco. ,Such a wrapping cannot be eiiected without the maintenance of a proper degree of pressure on the paper and tobacco during the rolling operation, corresponding to the pressure'ordinarily applied by the fingers in the rolling of a cigarette. The improved construction has incorporated therein means for maintaining such pressure and such means constitute one of the most important improvements. Further, the said pressure must act in conjunction with guide means formed for the paper so that pressure is maintained at the desired point as the paper is drawn thereto.

A further object of the invention'is to incorporate in such a cigarette former interchangeable elements which may be readily assembled and disassembled to make the device equally convenient for right and left-handed users.

The invention will be described in greater de- 40 tail in connection with the preferred embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in plan' of the improved former as used by a right-handed person, the cover being closed.

Figure 2 is a view in plan of the former shown in Figure 1 with the cover thrown back into open position to expose the inner segmental tube,

and the left end of the assembly being illustrated in section to show the relation of component parts.

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section of the device taken on the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of 5 the arrows.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1 but with the parts reassembled for use by a left-handed operator.

Figure 5 is a View in transverse section taken on the plane indicated by the line 5-5 of Figure 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows and showing a cigarette paper in place at the commencement of the operation.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5 but showing the cover closed at the commencement of the rolling operation.

Figure 7 is a schematic view showing the position the paper may take after a cigarette has been rolled.

Figure 8 is a view in transverse section showing a modified construction in which the outer tube is formed with a springalong one edge to take the place of the pressure roller illustrated in, the other views.

The improved former comprises generally a semi-circular outer tube a. which has hinged thereto at one edge a complementary semi-circue lar cover a, and an inner segmental tube 1) simi-. lar in shape to the outer tube a and resting snugly therein and adapted to be revolved through a cylindrical extension I) formed therewith. Whenthe cover a is closed there remains an open slit indicated at 0 between the proximate edges of the tube a and cover of suificient width to permit the free passage of a cigarette paper indicated generally at d in Figure 6. The successful forming of a cigarette requires the maintenance of pressure on the paper in proximity to the said slit 0 so that as the, paper is drawn therethrough pressure will hold the paper and tobacco in proper relation to produce a nicely finished cigarette. Such pressure may be maintained by many different means two of which are illustrated in the drawing. In Figures 1-6 there is shown a pressure roller e which is formed as a tube through which passes loosely a supporting pintle e. As the paper d is drawn in through the slit 0 it passes over the roller e and is held in proper relation to the tobacco thereby. The revoluble inner tube 2) is turned in a clockwise direction until it is brought into actual engagement with the roller e thereby gripping the paper more firmly and insuring that the last part of the forming operation shall be completed With a firm grip on the paper'and press the moistened edge thereof into intimate contact with the part over which it lies.

Another way of maintaining such pressure in juxtaposition to the entering'slit for the paper is exemplified by. Figure 8, As there shown, the

outer tube A has formed at its free edge a curved springy lip A over which the paper passes and which cooperates with the inner revoluble tube B in the manner described with reference to the roller e. The lip A, if desirable, may be formed over a longitudinally extending rod 1 as may be desirable during manufacture.

Thus far, no reference has been made to the details of the assembly as it has been sought to point out only the essential elements in their necessary relationship to accomplish the desired purposes. However, Figures 1-6 illustrate a very practical embodiment which is very inexpensive to manufacture and readily assemble with interchangeable retaining elements whereby the device may be used for right and left-handed persons. As shown in Figures 1-3 the. outer tube a terminates at its oppositeend in circular tubes a a respectively. The inner revoluble tube be has a circular extension b at one end, as described above, and a circular trunnion b at the other end. The extension b passes through and is journaled in the circular sectiona of the outer tube a while the circular journal I) at the other endof the'inner tube 1) bears within the circu-- lar section a may be formed at the end of the trunriionb which will engage the circular bearing (1 andlimit the movement of the inner tube axially with respect to the outer tube in one direction. A closed cap 9 may be slipped over the'circula-r bearinga and engage the end of the trunnion b 'so as to limit the axial movement thereof in I the opposite direction and hold the parts in clproper relationship; The circular bearings a a may be split and the free ends spaced to receive'the supporting rod e on which is carried the roller 6. The diameter of this rod e is such that when the cap g is in place the rod will be held securely between it and the trunnion b of the inner tube.- At the other'endof the device there is provided a ringh which has the same relative relationshipto the proximate end of the rod e and the bearing a of the outer tube asto hold the parts in assembled relation. This ring is retained in place by its frictional engagement with the associated members. It Will -b8 obvious by comparison ofthe assembly shown in Figure 4. with that m Figure 1, that the cap g and the ring h may be removed, the inner tube 1) withdrawn by moving it axially towards the left as viewed. in- Figures 1-3 and then reinserted'by passing. it axially through the bearings a anda. so. that the extension 12' willbe presented at the left end of the device instead of at the right end.

Thecap. g is then applied to the bearing a and the ring it slipped over the bearing a to complete the assembly. This interchangeability permits assembly so that the device may be convenient for eithera right-handed person or a left-handed.

person.

The method followed in forming a cigarette will nowbe described. The cover a is thrown back on its hinges to the position shown in Figure 2 thereby exposing the inner tube b which is nested at the bottom of the outer tube a. The cigarettepaper is laid over the inner tube as shown inFigure 5' and in case the paper is provided with mucilage' at one edge, as

indicated at d, this edge will be placed away from thecover a. The paper is then filled with tobacco to an extent which will approximately fill the outer tube when the cover is closed.

The cover is then swung into closedv position as indicated in Figure .6 thereby bringingone edge An annular flange orother stop of the paper over and down onto the tobacco but leaving the edge with mucilage protruding well beyond the slit 0. The extension b on the inner tube, which may be knurled for convenient operation is then grasped with the fingers and rotated in a clockwise direction. This will serve to revolve the inner tube b with the cigarette paper and the tobacco therein, in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 6, this section being taken on the plane indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows. The free edge of the paper will be drawn inwardly by this rotation of the inner tube and tension will be kept on it by the pressure of the tobacco outwardly towards the roller e. When only a small portion of the paper remains exposed, say, about one-eighth of an inch, it is licked with the tongue in accordance with conventional practice and rotation of the inner tube is then continued so that the paper is drawn within the casing completely'and the wettededge-pressed down 'onto the paper which is'already encasing the tobacco. At some point in its rotation the inner tube b will come directly in engagement with the roller e thereby increasing the pressure between the inner tube and the paper and this action will assist further in forming a cylindrical cigarette and one inwhich the free edge is firmly sealed by its wetting. One possiblerelationship of the paper during this forming operation is indicated in Figure 7 where the overlap is clearly indicated. After the cigarette is thus'formed the cover a is swung back to expose it and it is readily removed in readiness for smoking.

In order that the tobacco may lie flush with the end of the paper and be held in proper relation thereto during the forming operation the circular portions of the inner tube 2) may receive plugs k, k, the inner ends of which lie flush to the tubular sections within which they are mounted and serve as dams between which the tobacco will lie. Thus when the cigarette is completed it may be removed readily, the tobacco being flush with the endof the paper.

The action described will be the same in any device employing the principles set forth. The function of the spring edge A illustrated in Figure 8 is to maintain pressure during the rolling operation such as is maintained by the roller 6. Other means for maintaining such pressure will suggest. themselves to one skilled in the art and other changes in details of construction may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim'is:

1. A- device for formingcigarettes comprising an outer segmental tube, a similar segmental tube disposed therein and revoluble within the outer tube, a hinged cover to close the outer tube andcomplementary in shape to constitute therewith a substantially cylindrical casing, such casing being-provided with a slit between the outer tube and the edge of the, cover to receive the cigarette paper, means to revolve the inner tube when the cover is closed toform the cigarette, and means to engage the cigarette paper yieldingly during the rolling operation to maintain pressure thereon. v I

2. A. device for forming cigarettes comprising an outer segmental tube, a similar segmental tube disposed therein and revoluble within the outer tube, a hinged cover toclose the outer tube and complementary in: shape to constitute therewith- 1 a substantially cylindrical casing, such casing being provided with a slit between the outer tube and the edge of the cover to receive the cigarette paper, means to revolve the inner tube when the coveris closed to form the cigarette, and means disposed adjacent the opposite ends of the inner tube to limit the movement of tobacco from the cigarette paper.

3. A device for forming cigarettes comprising an outer segmental tube, a similar segmental tube disposed therein and revoluble within the outer tube, a hinged cover to close the outer tube and complementary in shape to constitute therewith a substantially cylindrical casing, such casing being provided with a slit between the outer tube and the edge of the cover to receive the cigarette paper, means to revolve the inner tube when the cover is closed to form the cigarette, and a roller mounted at one edge of the outer tube to engage the cigarette paper and maintain pressure thereon during the forming operation.

4. A cigarette former comprising an outer segmental tube having cylindrical bearings at its opposite ends, an inner segmental tube having cylindrical trunnions at its opposite ends journaled within said bearings to permit the inner tube to be revolved within the outer tube, a stop formed. on the inner tube and engaging the outer tube to limit relative axial movement in one direction, and a cap engaged with one of the bearings of the outer tube to hold the inner tube against relative axial movement in the opposite direction.

5. A cigarette former comprising an outer segmental tube having cylindrical bearings at its ends, an inner segmental tube having trunnions rotatably mounted within said bearings, a pressure roller mounted adjacent one edge of the said outer tube, and means to mount said roller on said bearings comprising cylindrical ring members adapted to be passed over said bearings, respec- 1 tively.

SAMUEL L. BURRI. 

